Florida Democratic House Leadership Endorses Retention of State Supreme Court Justices

State Rep. Perry Thurston (D-Plantation), the incoming House Democratic Leader, issued an "Open Letter to Floridians" Monday regarding Floridas judiciary. In the letter, Thurston urges Floridians to vote no on Floridas Amendment 5,andyes to retaining Florida Supreme Court justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis, and Peggy Quince.

Will the justices' campaign supporters -- including the state legal establishment, state police and fire unions, former Republican state Sen. Alex Villalobos, former Democratic state representative and American Bar Association president Sandy D'Alemberte, six former Supreme Court justices, several newspaper editorial boards, and the pro-retention organizations Democracy at Stake and Defend Justice from Politics -- condemn Democratic House leadership just as they vociferously as they've blasted the Republican Party of Florida for its official opposition to the justices' merit retention?

I would be infuriated if the Democratic Party entered this, DAlemberte told reporters in September. They have no business in this.

Granted, Thurston technically does not speak on behalf of the Florida Democratic Party, but his open letter was published by and on behalf of the House Democratic Office. Is it any less of an "injection of politics into the judiciary" than the oft-lambasted stance of the RPOF? You decide.

Excerpts from Thurston's letter:

"This fall, the Republican Party of Florida took the unprecedented step of attacking the merit retention vote for Florida Supreme Court Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince, who are on the November general election ballot.

"Every six years, state law requires that the justices come before voters to prove whether they still demonstrate the qualities needed to render fair and impartial rulings. The merit retention system, which ended campaigning for the high court, is designed so that justices can operate without fear of political retaliation for their decisions.

"Its a merit retention system that the Republican Party of Florida is out to destroy. Such destruction will leave us with a politicized and weakened court, the only branch of government that gives ordinary citizens the same respect as well-heeled political interests.

"Why would Republican Party leaders seek to undo such a unique and fundamentally American concept as an independent judiciary? . . .

"As my respected colleague, Rep. Darryl Rouson, an attorney and Democrat from St. Petersburg, stated a few days ago in calling for an end to partisan interference of the Florida Supreme Court: 'Justices should be selected by the depth of their constitutional knowledge and ability to come to reasonable conclusions, not their willingness to succumb to popular beliefs or the arm-twisting of the majority political party.'

"Accordingly, I urge you . . . to vote yes to retain the justices of the Florida Supreme Court.

"I also urge Floridians to call upon state Attorney General Pam Bondi, as Floridas chief legal officer, to join me in publicly rejecting the Republican Party of Floridas attack on our independent judiciary."